40:77

فَٱصۡبِرۡ إِنَّ وَعۡدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقّٞۚ فَإِمَّا نُرِيَنَّكَ بَعۡضَ ٱلَّذِي نَعِدُهُمۡ أَوۡ نَتَوَفَّيَنَّكَ فَإِلَيۡنَا يُرۡجَعُونَ

Faisbir inna waAAda Allahi haqqun faimma nuriyannaka baAAda allathee naAAiduhum aw natawaffayannaka failayna yurjaAAoona

So be patient, [O Muhammad]; indeed, the promise of Allah is truth. And whether We show you some of what We have promised them or We take you in death, it is to Us they will be returned.

Word by word
  1. فَٱصۡبِرۡSo be patient
  2. إِنَّindeed
  3. وَعۡدَ(the) Promise
  4. ٱللَّهِ(of) Allah
  5. حَقّٞۚ(is) true
  6. فَإِمَّاAnd whether
  7. نُرِيَنَّكَWe show you
  8. بَعۡضَsome
  9. ٱلَّذِي(of) what
  10. نَعِدُهُمۡWe have promised them
  11. أَوۡor
  12. نَتَوَفَّيَنَّكَWe cause you to die
  13. فَإِلَيۡنَاthen to Us
  14. يُرۡجَعُونَthey will be returned
Ghafir · 40:77Makkah

Be patient. Whether you see it or not, they return to Us.

The Prophet ﷺ may not see every promise fulfilled


Two possibilities
you see some of itin your lifetime
or you pass first
either way
they return to Usthe promise holds
When patience pays
only if I see results
the promise is truewith or without me

Ibn Kathir says Allah commands the Prophet ﷺ to patiently bear the rejection of his people. He did see much of it: Makkah and the Arabian Peninsula during his lifetime. But the verse says even if not, all return to Allah.

You raise your kids well, plant a tree, start a project for your community. You may not see how it turns out. You do not have to see the end to be sure of it.

If I will not see the results, why bother?

Allah's promise is true whether I live to see it or not.

Try this

Do one good thing today whose results you will probably never see.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

So be patient, verily, the promise of Allah is true and whether We show you some part of what We have promised them, or We cause you to die, then still it is to Us they all shall be returned (77)And, indeed We have sent Messengers before you, of some of them We have related to you their story. And of some We have not related to you their story, and it was not given to any Messenger that he should bring a sign except by the leave of Allah. But, when comes the commandment of Allah, the matter will be decided with truth, and the followers of falsehood will then be lost (78)

The Command to be Patient and Good News of Victory

Here Allah commands His Messenger ﷺ to patiently bear the rejection of those who rejected him: 'Allah will fulfill His promise to you that you will be victorious and will prevail over your people, and you and those who follow you, will be the successful ones in this world and the Hereafter.'

فَإِمَّا نُرِيَنَّكَ بَعْضَ الَّذِي نَعِدُهُمْ

(and whether We show you some part of what We have promised them,) means, in this world, and this is what happened, for Allah gave them the joy of humiliating the leaders and nobles (of the Quraysh), who were killed on the day of Badr, then Allah granted them victory over Makkah and the entire Arabian Peninsula during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ.

أَوْ نَتَوَفَّيَنَّكَ فَإِلَيْنَا يُرْجَعُونَ

(or We cause you to die, then still it is to Us they all shall be returned.) means, 'and We shall inflict a severe punishment upon them in the Hereafter.' Then Allah says, consoling [His Prophet ﷺ]:

وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلًا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ قَصَصْنَا عَلَيْكَ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ لَمْ نَقْصُصْ عَلَيْكَ ۗ 

(And, indeed We have sent Messengers before you, of some of them We have related to you their story.) as Allah also says in Surat An-Nisa', meaning, 'We have revealed the stories of some of them and how their people disbelieved in them, but the Messengers ultimately prevailed.'

وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ لَمْ نَقْصُصْ عَلَيْكَ

(And of some We have not related to you their story,) and they are many, many more than those whose stories have been told, as has been stated in Surat An-Nisa'. Praise and blessings be to Allah.

وَمَا كَانَ لِرَسُولٍ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ بِآيَةٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ ۚ 

(and it was not given to any Messenger that he should bring a sign except by the leave of Allah.) means, none of the Prophets was able to bring miracles to his people except when Allah granted him permission to do that as a sign of the truth of the message he brought to them.

فَإِذَا جَاءَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ

(But, when comes the commandment of Allah,) means, His punishment and vengeance which will encompass the disbelievers,

 قُضِيَ بِالْحَقِّ

(the matter will be decided with truth,) so the believers will be saved and the disbelievers will be destroyed. Allah says:

وَخَسِرَ هُنَالِكَ الْمُبْطِلُونَ

(and the followers of falsehood will then be lost.)